Autonomous Vehicle Secure Boot System for Encrypted Drive Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The integration of network and computing resources in autonomous vehicles increases the risk of malicious third-party access, potentially leading to unauthorized control and data breaches, which existing technologies have not adequately addressed.
Innovation Solution
A secure start system for autonomous vehicles that employs a switching module, communications router, and encryption techniques to ensure only authorized access, using a decryption process initiated by a boot-loader with authentication resources to connect to a backend system for secure key retrieval and enable autonomous drive functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If network and computing resources are integrated into autonomous vehicles, then functionality and automation capability are improved, but security vulnerability to malicious third-party access increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication and decryption actions before enabling autonomous drive functions. The boot-loader executes authentication code that verifies credentials and decrypts encrypted drives containing autonomous drive software, preventing unauthorized access before it can occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary authentication system between the hardware and autonomous drive functions. The boot-loader acts as a mediator that verifies credentials through authentication code and decrypts encrypted drives, serving as a security gateway that prevents direct unauthorized access to autonomous drive capabilities.
2Reliability
If encryption is applied to protect autonomous drive functions, then security against unauthorized access is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the authentication process into distinct components: the boot-loader contains authentication code, credentials are stored separately in encrypted form, and the autonomous drive software is encrypted in a separate drive. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall security.
Solution Approach 2:
The boot-loader performs self-service authentication by executing authentication code that automatically verifies credentials and decrypts the encrypted drive containing autonomous drive software. This self-service mechanism reduces the need for external authentication systems, simplifying the overall architecture despite the encryption complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A secure start system for an autonomous vehicle (AV) can transmit credentials to an authentication system based on detecting startup of the autonomous vehicle. When the credentials are authenticated the system can receive a tunnel key from the authentication system, and establish, using the tunnel key, a private communications session with a backend vault of the authentication system. The system may then retrieve a verification key and an autonomous key from the backend vault, and verify, using the verification key, that the file system was cryptographically signed by the authentication system, and decrypt the file system using the autonomous key to enable the autonomous mode.